The Lion King
s The Lion King by Irene Mecchi Jonathan Roberts Linda Woolverton Warner Bros The Iron Giant by Tim McCanlies Brad Bird |starring = Matthew Broderick Dwayne Johnson James Earl Jones Eli Marienthal Alexander Gould Jeremy Irons Jennifer Aniston Shemar Moore Niketa Calame Harry Connick Jr. Moira Kelly Nathan Lane Ernie Sabella Billy Crystal Eric Close William Petersen Robert Guillaume Rowan Atkinson Diana Ross Whoopi Goldberg Cheech Marin Jim Cummings |music = Brian Tyler |editing = Stephen A. Rotter |studio = Walt Disney Pictures Warner Bros. Pictures |distributor = Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |release = February 20, 2009 |country = United States |language = English |budget = $100 million |gross = }}The Lion King & The Iron Giant is a 2009 American animated musical science fiction film based on Disney s 1994 film The Lion King and Warner Bros 1999 film The Iron Giant. The film was written and directed by Cody Dickson in his directorial debut, and produced by Kirk Wise, and Allison Abbate. It's original songs were written by John Mayer, Elton John and lyricist Tim Rice, with a score by Brian Tyler. The film features an ensemble voice cast that includes Matthew Broderick, Dwayne Johnson, James Earl Jones, Eli Marienthal, Alexander Gould, Jeremy Irons, Jennifer Aniston, Shemar Moore, Niketa Calame, Harry Connick Jr., Moira Kelly, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Billy Crystal, Eric Close, William Petersen, Robert Guillaume, Rowan Atkinson, Diana Ross, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, and Jim Cummings. The story takes place in the 1990s. The Lion King & The Iron Giant tells the story of Simba (Swahili for lion), a young lion who is to succeed his father, Mufasa, as King of the Pride Lands. He and his human friend, a young boy named Hogarth Hughes, discover and befriend a gigantic metallic robot who fell from outer space. With help from beatnik Hendrix Connors, Simba and Hogarth attempt to prevent the U.S. military and Kent Mansley, a paranoid federal agent, from finding and destroying the Giant. However, after Simba's paternal uncle Scar murders Mufasa, Simba is manipulated into thinking he was responsible and flees into exile. Upon maturation living with two wastrels, Simba is given some valuable perspective from his childhood friend, Nala, and his shaman, Rafiki, before returning to challenge Scar to end his tyranny and take his place in the Circle of Life as the rightful King. Cody started developing the film at age 11 in 2006 during his time in Elementary School. He attempted to stay close to both original films materials. Several cast members from both original films reprised their roles respectively. The film was animated using traditional animation, with computer-generated imagery used to animate the titular character and other effects. The Lion King & The Iron Giant premiered at El Capitan Theater in Los Angeles on February 14, 2009 and was released worldwide on February 20. Despite poor expectations, upon release, the film received widespread critical acclaim from both critics and audiences. Praise was directed at the animation, music, the combinations of both stories, and visuals. The film was a box office success, grossing over $300 million worldwide against its $100 million production budget. Plot In the Pride Lands of Africa, a pride of lions rule over the animal kingdom from Pride Rock. King Mufasa's and Queen Sarabi's newborn son, Simba, is presented to the gathering animals by Rafiki the mandrill, the kingdom's shaman and advisor. Five years later, an object from space crashes in the ocean just off the coast of Nigeria and then enters the forest near the town of Lagos. Mufasa shows Simba the Pride Lands and explains to him the responsibilities of kingship and the "circle of life", which connects all living things. Mufasa's younger brother, Scar, covets the throne and plots to eliminate Mufasa and Simba, so he may become king. He tricks Simba and his best friend Nala (to whom Simba is betrothed) into exploring a forbidden power station. 11-year-old Hogarth Hughes investigates while on his african vacation with his family and finds a giant robot attempting to eat the transmission lines of an electrical substation, while also running into Simba and Nala. They are attacked by three spotted hyenas, Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed, who are in league with Scar. Mufasa is alerted about the incident by his majordomo, the hornbill Zazu, and rescues the cubs. Even Hogarth was rescued. Though upset with Simba, Mufasa forgives him. Hogarth and Simba eventually befriend the Giant, finding it docile and curious. When it eats railroad tracks in the path of an oncoming train, the train collides with it and derails; Hogarth leads the Giant away from the scene, discovering that it can self-repair. While there, Hogarth shows the Giant comic books chronicling the adventures of Superman. The incidents lead a paranoid U.S. government agent named Kent Mansley to Africa. Hogarth and Simba evade Kent and moves the Giant to a junkyard owned by beatnik artist Hendrix Connors, who reluctantly agrees to keep him. Hogarth and Simba enjoy their time with the Giant, but Hograth is forced to explain "death" after witnessing hunters killing an antilope. Mufasa explains to Simba that the great kings of the past watch over them from the night sky, from which he will one day watch over him. Scar sets a trap for his brother and nephew, luring Simba into a gorge and having the hyenas drive a large herd of wildebeest into a stampede that will trample him. Scar himself does not interfere to save Simba, but instead informs Mufasa of Simba's peril, knowing that the king will rush to save his son. Mufasa saves Simba but ends up hanging perilously from the gorge's edge. Scar refuses to help Mufasa, instead sending him falling to his death. He then convinces Simba that the tragedy was Simba's own fault and advises him to leave the kingdom and never return. He orders the hyenas to kill the cub, but Simba escapes. Scar tells the pride that both Mufasa and Simba were killed in the stampede and steps forward as the new king, allowing his three hyena minions and the rest of their large pack to live in the Pride Lands. Informed about the incident, the Giant leaves Africa and falls into a dormant slumber. Simba collapses in a desert and is rescued by Timon and Pumbaa, a meerkat and warthog, who are fellow outcasts. Simba grows up in the jungle with his two new friends, living a carefree life under the motto "hakuna matata" ("no worries" in Swahili). Now a young adult, Simba rescues Timon and Pumbaa from a hungry lioness, who turns out to be Nala. She and Simba reunite and fall in love, and she urges him to return home, telling him that Pride Lands have become a drought-stricken wasteland under Scar's reign. Feeling guilty over his father's death, Simba refuses and storms off. He then encounters Rafiki, who tells him that Mufasa's spirit lives on in Simba. Simba is visited by the ghost of Mufasa in the night sky, who tells him that he must take his rightful place as king. Realizing that he can no longer run from his past, Simba decides to return to the Pride Lands. Meanwhile, the Giant awakens from his year slumber and reunites with Hendrix. That night, Hogarth's younger brother Phil is abducted by Kent when he discovers evidence of the Giant after finding a photo of it next to Hogarth and him and brings a U.S. Army contingent led by General Shannon Rogard to the scrapyard to prove the Giant's existence. Cast *Matthew Broderick as Simba, son of Mufasa and Sarabi, who grows up to become King of the Pride Lands. Rock singer Joseph Williams provided adult Simba's singing voice. ** Alexander Gould voiced young Simba *Dwayne Johnson as The Iron Giant, a fifty-foot, metal-eating robot. Created for an unknown purpose, the Giant involuntarily reacts defensively if he recognizes anything as a weapon, immediately attempting to destroy it. *James Earl Jones as Mufasa, Simba's father, former King of the Pride Lands as the film begins. *Eli Marienthal as Hogarth Hughes, an intelligent, energetic and curious 11-year-old boy with an active imagination. Marienthal voiced adult Hogarth. ** voiced 11-year old Hogarth. *Jeremy Irons as Scar, Mufasa's younger brother and Simba's uncle, who takes the throne. *Jennifer Aniston as Annie Hughes, Hogarth's mother who is the widow of a military pilot. *Shemar Moore as Hendrix Connors, a beatnik artist and junkyard owner. *Niketa Calame as , a friend of the Hughes. *Harry Connick Jr. as Dean McCoppin. *as Phil Hughes *Moira Kelly as Nala, Simba's best friend and later his wife and Queen of the Pride Lands. Sally Dworsky provided her singing voice. ** voiced young Nala. *Nathan Lane as Timon, a wise-cracking and loyal meerkat who becomes one of Simba's best friends and adoptive parents. *Ernie Sabella as Pumbaa, a naïve warthog who suffers from flatulence and is Timon's best friend and also becomes one of Simba's best friends and adoptive parents. *Billy Crystal as Frank, a self-absorbed yet somewhat loyal lemur and is Timon and Pumbaa's best friend and also becomes one of Simba's best friends and adoptive parents. *Eric Close as Kent Mansley, a paranoid federal government agent sent to investigate sightings of the Iron Giant. The logo on his official government car says he is from the "Bureau of Unexplained Phenomena". *William Petersen General Shannon Rogard, an experienced and levelheaded military leader in Washington, D.C. who strongly dislikes Mansley. *Robert Guillaume as Rafiki, an old baboon (with mandrill markings) who serves as shaman of the Pride Lands and presents newborn cubs of the King and Queen to the animals of the Pride Lands. *Rowan Atkinson as Zazu, a hornbill who serves as the king's majordomo (or "Mufasa's little stooge", as Shenzi calls him). *Diana Ross as Sarabi, Mufasa's mate, Simba's mother, and the leader of the lioness hunting party. *The three spotted hyenas **Whoopi Goldberg as Shenzi, the sassy and short-tempered female leader of the trio. **Cheech Marin as Banzai, an aggressive and hot-headed hyena prone to complaining and acting on impulse. **Jim Cummings as Ed, a dim-witted hyena Production Development Writing Animation Music Release The Lion King & The Iron Giant had a limited release in North America on February 14, 2009, playing in only two theaters, El Capitan Theater in Los Angeles and Radio City Music Hall in New York City featuring live shows with ticket prices up to $30. The wide release followed on February 20. The film was often premiered at Leicester Square. Marketing Disney released a teaser trailer which showed footage from the original Lion King; the zoom-in shot of young Simba; and footage from the original Iron Giant; the opening scene after Earl Studz crashes into the Giant during the storm. The first trailer for the film was released in June 2008 attached to the theatrical release of DreamWorks Kung Fu Panda. The second trailer debuted on August 11, 2008. Home media Reception Box office Critical response Accolades Soundtrack Trivia *First collaboration between Warner Bros Pictures and Walt Disney Pictures. *Eli Marienthal plays adult Hogarth in the film. He voiced 9 year old Hogarth in the original Iron Giant. *The film's goal was to become a sleeper hit on DVD. References Category:2009 films Category:PG-Rated films Category:Walt Disney Pictures Category:Warner Bros. 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